Hidden in Plain Sight: A Deep Traveler Explores Connecticut (Garnet Books) - Hardcover

Leff, David K.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0819572810 ISBN 13: 9780819572813

Publisher: Wesleyan University Press, 2012

Synopsis

In the course of the mundane routines of life, we encounter a variety of landscapes and objects, either ignoring them or looking without interest at what appears to be just a tree, stone, anonymous building, or dirt road. But the "deep traveler," according to Hartford Courant essayist David K. Leff, doesn't make this mistake. Instead, the commonplace elements become the most important. By learning to see the magic in the mundane, we not only enrich daily life with a sense of place, we are more likely to protect and make those places better. Over his many years working at the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and writing about the state's landscape, Leff gained unparalleled intimacy while traveling its byways and back roads. In Hidden in Plain Sight, Leff's essays and photographs take us on a point-by-point journey, revealing the rich stories behind many of Connecticut's overlooked landmarks, from the Merritt Parkway and Cornwall's Cathedral Pines to roadside rock art and centuries-old milestones.

About this title

About the Author:

DAVID K. LEFF is the author of The Last Undiscovered Place (a Connecticut Book Award finalist), Deep Travel, and two volumes of poetry. His essays have appeared in the Hartford Courant, Appalachia, Yankee, Canoe & Kayak, and the Encyclopedia of New England. He lives in Collinsville, Connecticut.

Review:

"Zinkies and Gungywamp, barns and brownstone pits, Leff's meditative exploration inveigles and delights."―John R. Stilgoe, Harvard University

"You think you know Connecticut? Think again. The inquisitive mind of the 'deep traveler' sees much more than in 'plain sight.' After reading this book, you will explore our state differently. Though the eyes of the 'deep traveler,' things we experience every day driving and hiking through Connecticut, from roadside rock art to old growth forests, take on new meaning. My recommendation: Hop onboard and take the journey!"―Nicholas F. Bellantoni, Connecticut State Archaeologist

"The Connecticut places―some world famous, some obscure―that David K. Leff lovingly explores in Hidden in Plain Sight are fascinating. Even more revelatory is how he gets there. Invariably putting his senses on high alert, he teases out truths 'hidden in the middle of everywhere.' "―Tony Hiss, author of In Motion: The Experience of Travel

About this edition

• Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0819572810
• ISBN 13: 9780819572813
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 264